The first thing to consider when rehoming a fox - is rehoming totally necessary in your situation?

Rehoming for any animal is stressful, but it is particularly stressful for a fox, who while they may be friendly towards others, often bond closely with one or two individuals. Foxes are not happy about changing routines, schedules or places, and all that comes with rehoming.

This is something that should be taken into consideration when deciding to rehome a fox. Does the need for rehoming outweigh the stress that it will cause? Are there other options for your specific problem?

The first issue we will address is the concern of time constraints.

The Concern: Time Constraints​

Many times I have seen or talked to people who felt as though they could not give their fox enough time; that they had previously spent hours with their fox as it was growing up, and could now only dedicate enough time to feed, water, and briefly play with their fox each day.

This was a conversation I had when I was deciding to rehome my fox. When I discussed this with other fox owners, I found this isn’t uncommon. Some days, you will not be able to dedicate that much playtime, walks or other one-on-one attention to your fox. That is ok; this doesn’t necessarily warrant rehoming.

What you need to consider is how long this period of time, where you can only provide minimum care and attention, will last. Will this situation only last a few weeks, a couple of months; will it get better at the end of the year? Or do you think that this time and energy constraint will last into years and be detrimental to the well-being of the fox? In my particular situation, I would not be able to spend quality time with my fox again for several years, and so, rehoming was the best option for her. For others, the few months that they became busier soon passed, and keeping the fox was a better option.

Something else to take in mind when deciding to rehome based on time constraints, is the age of the fox.

Are you looking at rehoming a young fox?If so, rehoming may be better in this situation. Younger foxes are going to adapt more easily to change than an older fox.

When a fox is young (about 6 months old or less), it is at a critical age for bonding and socialization. If you’re unable to dedicate time to a fox early on its life, this is a sign that rehoming may be for the best. A fox, at this age, needs plenty of quality time to ensure that it becomes socialized to humans and handling. It is not unheard of for owners of foxes to take vacations from work just to spend time with the fox during its early weeks and months of development. Foxes also have been taken to work by those in animal-related professions, and are a choice pet for those who work from home. This is not totally necessary for a well-socialized fox, but it is an example of how important a foxes’ early upbringing can be.

A young fox demands time, and cannot just be left alone in an enclosure. If you’re not able to provide the attention, it may be in the best interest of the fox to be rehomed now. A young fox will also adjust better than an older fox to being rehomed.

Older foxes, as it has been mentioned before, have likely already reached a period in their life where they have bonded to their caretakers and are settled into their homes. Rehoming them after they have become comfortable with you brings about a lot of stress. Instead, consider that they generally have already been well socialized, and it’s at that point that you can provide less attention than they needed as kits. This is where you have other options when time and attention for your fox becomes an issue.

If you keep your fox in an enclosure or other dedicated space, indoors or outdoors, at least a portion of the day (which is recommended), consider expanding and adding enrichment.

For example, a minimum recommended size for a fox enclosure for larger fox species (red, arctic) is 10 x 10, but that comes with the expectation that the fox will be regularly let out to play and exercise, as this is a rather small area to keep a fox in indefinitely. Expanding your enclosure and adding more enrichment is an ideal option to consider, if spending hours a day with your fox becomes difficult.

Many zoos, sanctuaries and wildlife rescues do not interact with their foxes much, and instead opt to house them in a large enclosure with plenty of enrichment, and the fox is able to live happily. This is a largely acceptable way of housing a fox.

The trade off, however, is that these foxes can lose some of their ‘pet’ qualities from a lack of socialization. A fox, over time, may regress in their socialization, and becomes more difficult to leash or crate them. Daily feedings and minimal play-time might not be enough to prevent this from happening. This is something to bear in mind if you decide to keep the fox with a more hands-off approach coupled with an expanded enclosure. Leashing and crating a fox is not necessary to a foxes' daily happiness - so having a more hands-off approach to having a pet fox is not going to be detrimental to the animal's happiness.

Dogs, alternatively, can also make great playmates to wear out foxes, provided the dog is able to tolerate nips and a high energy fox. Dogs have been great companions for those who feel their foxes need a playmate that can keep up with their energy when the owner runs out of their own.

It is generally not recommended that you get another fox if you fear your fox is "lonely". Foxes, especially those who are sterilized, are content with being solitary and do not necessarily yearn for the companionship of other foxes. Bringing in an additional fox complicates an already precarious situation.

So, when time constraints becomes a real concern, when does rehoming become the ideal option?

You are unable to spend quality time with your fox regularly, and expect this to last indefinitely

You are unable to spend quality time with your fox, and you cannot, or do not want to, mitigate that with an enclosure, enrichment, etc.

In these given situations, the fox is younger and needs more time than you can provide

If all of these factors are true, you may want to strongly consider rehoming your fox.

​In the next entry, we will be discussing one of the most common deciding factors for rehoming a fox - behavioral issues.

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